DA reviewing evidence in U.S. 70 double fatal

LAS CRUCES — No criminal charges have been filed yet in connection to the tragic U.S. 70 crash that killed a Las Cruces teenager and his mother last Halloween, officials said.

Las Cruces Police Department spokesman Dan Trujillo said investigators finished their work on the horrific two-vehicle crash late last month. As of Tuesday morning, local courts reported no criminal complaints or pending cases against the surviving involved driver.

In November, an LCPD traffic division officer obtained a search warrant aimed at determining if that driver, Shauna Halladay, was texting just before losing control of her Isuzu Rodeo — officers found an iPhone ready to send a text inside the Isuzu, then received a tip that Halladay was seen manipulating the phone moments before the fatal crash.

According to an affidavit filed with the warrant, Halladay told police she lost control of her small SUV after another driver cut her off as she headed west on U.S. 70. Eventually she crossed into the median, then ramped into the air before heading into eastbound lanes, scraping across the top of a Daewoo sedan, and killing its passengers.

The search warrant granted police authority to search numerous details of Halladay's cell phone records. At the time, LCPD said that obtaining those records could take as long as 120 days, depending on the cooperation of the service provider.

Supplemental police reports, which could outline the details of those cell phone records, were not immediately available from LCPD.

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Halladay's family repeatedly has referred all questions about the crash to her attorney, Mark Pickett. In December, Pickett said he did not anticipate any criminal charges to come against Halladay.

He did not return a phone message left Tuesday by the Sun-News.

A spokeswoman for 3rd Judicial District Attorney Mark D'Antonio was researching the issue throughout Tuesday.

The joint funeral for the two killed in the crash, Marcia Parra, 35, and her son Keian Padilla, 15, was held last month.

James Staley may be reached at 575-541-5476. Follow him on Twitter @auguststaley